1465 John Norreys wrote his will 4 April 1465. "In the Name of God. Amen. The iiiith day of Aprill, the yere of the'incarnac'on of our Lord Jhu Crist M[illesimo]cccc.lxxv. And the yere of ye reigne of King Edward the iiijth aft' ye Conquest, the vth, I John Norreys, squyer, of the p'issh of Bray in ye Counte of Berks, hoole of mynde and in my goode memorie beying, make and ordeyne my present Testament in this maner. First. I biqueth and comende my soule to allmyghty God my Maker and to the blissed Virgine Marie his Modir and to all the compayne of heven. And my body to be buried in the Church of Saint Michaell of Bray aforsaid in the North Ile of the said Church. And I woll first and before all thinges, after my body buried, that all the dettes yat I owe of right fully be satisfied and paied. It'm. I woll if any person or persons can compleyne and verrely prove of any wrong to yat persone doone by me, and hath not dieuly be satisfied, therfor, I woll that ye same persone thanne be recompensed and amended of my goodes as conscience and trouth wull require in that behalf, aftre ye discrecons of myn Executours. It'm. I biqueth to the Modir Church of Salesbury to pray for my soule there vj s. viij d. It'm. I biqueth to the High Aulter in the Church of Bray aforsaid for my tithes and offerings withdrawen and forgeten. And alsoe that ye vicarie of the same Church devoutely pray for my soule C s. It'm. I woll yat a M[illesimo] masses with as many placebo' direges and other obs[er]v'nces used in mortuaries be song and don for my soule in as hasty time as it may goodely be doone. And at ferdest within 30 daies next suying my decease: and ye cause why I appoint so long a tyme of 30 daies, is, for I would that the moost devoute and vertuous preestes as well religious as seculers that can be goten by the discrec'on of myn Executours as well within the Citee of London as withoute, sing and doo the same masses, placebo', direges, and such other obs[er]v'nces. And yat everych of ye same preests, doyng such suffragies and observnces, for his labor have of my goodes after the discrecion of myn Executours. It'm. Yat ye Preestes and Clerkes of the said Church of Bray doo every day from my decesse unto the day of my moneth mynde in ye same church of Bray, for my soule an obite-by note, that is to say with placebo, direge, and laudes in the Eve and comendacion and masse of Requiem in the morowe. And I woll that the Vicarie of the same church, if he present and helpyng every day at the same obite, and not els, haue for his labour xiij s iiij d. And that everych of the Remennt of the Preestes aforsaid have for his labor, if he be present and helpyng every day at the same obite, and not elles, x s. And yat everch of the p'issh clerkes of the saide church in semblable wise, if he be present and helpyng, have for his labor v s. Furthermore, I wull in encresing of more Devocion and prayours in this behalf to the honor of all myghty God and profite of my soule, that all the belles of the said Church of Bray, as sone as my body be buried and the Divine service so ther doon, be rong as well by nyght as by day, by the space of xxiiij houres continually to gidres. And that ye Ringers of the same belles have for their labor of ringyng after the discrecion of myn Executours. It'm. I woll yat ye grettest belle of the said belles be rong every day from my decesse unto the day of my moneth mynde by an hoole houre continually to gidres after the sunne goyng downe. And by a nother hole houre to gidres bifore the sonne rising. And that ye Ringers therof be rewarded for their labor by everych of the said houres after the discrecion of my said Executours. It'm I biqueth and woll that ye be gyven and delt every day from my decesse unto my moneth mynde aforsaid to the moost poure and nedy people of the said p'issh of Bray, being in the said Churche or in the same p'issh of my goodes by the hands of myn Execurours, or their discrete depute to pray specially for my soule, xxx d. It'm. I woll yat myn Executours purvey and ordeyne in as hasty tyme as they can or nowe after my decesse by the'advyse of the p'son of Yatynden, xxx of the moost devout and best named Preestes that can be had, as well as of Religious as of seculers in Redyng and nigh the about in the Countye for to do an obite, etc., in the P'issh Church of Yattenden. [He makes the same provision in the parish of Yattenden for the benefit of his soul as above rehearsed in Bray.] It'm. I woll and biqueth to ye newe makyng and edefying of the North Ile of ye Church of Bray aforesaid, nowe callid Saint Nicholas Chapell to ye honour of all myghty God, his Modre Sainte Marie, Saint Nicholas, and Saint Kateryn, and for helthe of my soule by the oversight and discrecion of myn said Executours or yeir sufficiant Deputees to the'entent yat ye Chauntry Preest aforsaid nowe for tyme beying, and his Successours shall yer sing in perpetuite according to the fundacion of the said Chauntery, in the honour and worship of all mighty God and Lady Saint Marie, and all the Saints above rehersed; praying for my soule, the soules of my fadir and modre, of Alice, Alianore, and Margarete, somtyme my wifes. And for the soules of all such persones as hath geve or biqueth in tyme passid, or doth, or biqueth in tyme to come, and landes, rentes, or ten'tes, goodes or catallis, unto the forsaid Chauntery c li. [100 l.] It'm. I biqueth to ye Aulter of ye said Ile, to be purveied and ordeigned by th' advyse of y'e forsaid Chauntery preest and the discrecion of myn said Executours for such ornaments as is moost necessarye for him to ther to syng for my soule and all ye soules aboue rehersed, xx marc. Itm. I biqueth to the edifying and making of a tombe and for a marble stone to be laid ye uppon immediately after my decesse within the said Chapell over my bodie yer buried, xx marc. Itm. I biqueth to ye Rode-light in ye same Churche vi s viij d. Itm. I biqueth to St. Nicholas light vi s viij d. Itm. I will and biqueth to ye lights of Saint Stephin within the same Church, xx [sic.] Itm. I biqueth to ye lights in our Lady Chapell vi s viij d. Itm. I woll and biqueth to ye biyng of a grete belle to be sette and hong in the Steple of Bray forsaid, for a perpetuale Remebraunce and stering people to more Devocion in praying for my soule and all christien soules, L li [50l.] Itm. I woll and bequeth c li to the'entent yat my Executours shall finde a convenable preest of good and honest conversacion to sing in ye Chapell above rehersed within the Church of Bray aforsaid yerely, immediately aft' my decesse for my soule, ye soules of my fadir and modir, of Alice, and Alianor, somtyme my wifes, as long as by the discrecion of my said Executors ye forsaid preest may ther be honestly founde with ye said c li. Itm. I biguethe to ye church of Ruscombe, to be had in Remembrance and sp'cially to be praied for yer, c. s. Itm. I biqueth to ye making and repairing of ye briggs bytwene the said church of Bray and village called the Wyke, v marc. Itm. I biqueth to the makyng and graveling of ye way bytwene Acroste gate and ye lane called the Rreith lane, xl s. Itm. To ye helping and reparing of Maydenhith bridge, xl s. Itm. I woll and biqueth to the full bilding and making uppe of the Chapell with the Chambres ajoynyng with'n my manoir of Okholt in the p'issh of Bray aforsaid not yet finisshed, xl. li. Itm. I woll and biqueth to Sir William Norreys, my son and heir, all my stuff of houshold being in my manoir of Yatenden and bilongyng to every house of office within my said manoir, as halle, palour, chambres, Botery, ketchyn, bake-house, and all other to ye same manoir pertaynyng.
Itm. I biqueth to the said Sir Willia, my sonne, in plate to the value of 40 sterling.
Itm. I woll that my sonne John Norreys the'elder have after my decesse, in money and in plate, 100 marc sterling.
Itm. I biqueth to John, my yonger sonne, in money and pin plate, 40l.
Itm. I biqueth to William, my yongest sonne, 100 marc of lawfull money of England.
Itm. I woll and biqueth to Anne, my eldes daughter, 100l.
Itm. I biqueth to Letice, my yongest daughter, in money, 20 marc, and in plate to the value of 50 marcs.
Itm. I biqueth to ye mariage of Jene Wales 40 marc of money.
Itm. I biqueth to Alison Wales, hir suster, in helping to hir mariage, 10 marc.
Itm. I woll and biqueth to John Wales, hur Brother, 40s.
Itm. I biqueth to William Norreys [son of John's brother William] 20 marc of sterling.
Itm. I biqueth to John Norreys, his Brothir, and myn App'tice, 10 marc.
Itm. I biqueth to Thomas Merbroke 20s.
Itm. I biqueth to John Andrewe 26s 8d.
Itm. I biqueth to Davy Aprise 20s.
Itm. I biqueth to John Winche 20s.
Itm. To Rauf Coke 20s.
Itm. I will and biqueth, to be distribute and goven by the discrecon of myn Executours unto my Shepherds and meniall servnts attending my husbandrie, 40s.
Itm. I woll yat all ye Remanent of my serv'nts not above rehersed be rewarded after ye discrecon of my said Execurours. The residue forsoth of all my goodes, moveable and unmoveable, where suever they be after my dettes paied, my body buried, my funarie expenses maade, and my biquestes conteyned in this my present testament fulfilled, I biqueth and graunte unto Margarett, my wife, if she, after my decesse, take noon husband but lyve soole. And is fo be God fortune hir to be maried after my decesse, yen I woll that the said Margarett, my wife, haue in the name of a Resonable part to hir right belongyng of all maner my goodes and catalles a 1000 marc, and then moreover the Residue of all my goodes as hir is above specified, I biqueth unto the disposicion of myn Executors, so that yey the same Residue dispose and distribute for my soule, and for the soules of Alice and Alianor, late my wifes, and of all trieu cristen soules, in werkes of pitee and charitee, as by them may be seen moost pleasaunce to God and profite to my soule, as they wold I shold doo for their soules in semblable wise. And of yis my present Testament I make and ordeyne myn Executours, yat is to say, the forsaid Margarete, my wife, William Norreys, my Brother, Richard Bulstrode, and Thomas Babham, and I biqueth to everych of the same William Norreys, etc., for yeir labor in this behalf to be had, 10 marc sterling. Also I make and ordeyne of this my said present Testament and Will, my Lord Wenlod supervisor to the'assistance and aiding of myn Executours aforsaid, in perofurming and fulfilling of my said Wille. And I biquethe to my said Lorde for his labor in this behalfe to be had, a gilte cuppe covered, calledd 'the houswif.' In wittness wherof, as well to my above said Testament as to this my said Wille, I have put my seale. These witnessing. Probatum fuit suprascript Testm apud Lamebith quarto die mensis Julii Anno Dni Mil. CCCCmo lxvijmo ac approbat', &c. &c." [1]
[1] Charles Kerry, The History and Antiquities of the Hundred of Bray in the County of Berks (London: Savill and Edwards, 1861), 116-120, [InternetArchive].